A Comic Book Fairy Tale
by SpartanGuard
Summary: Killian Jones works in a comic shop. When Emma Swan walks through the doors, it's more of an adventure than the stories on the pages of the books all around him. (rated K for slightly coarse language)
1. Chapter 1

" _Seven_ variants? Bloody hell."

Today was one of those days that Killian cursed David for talking him into this. Who in their right mind bought a comic book shop? It was one thing to be a reader—to get high on the smell of ink and paper and get lost in a fantastic story in a fantastical realm—but to be the one behind the counter? (Or shelf, or glass case, or storeroom door?) Especially he, Lt. Killian Jones of Her Majesty's Royal Navy (well, formerly). He was a leader of men and a sailor, not a comic purveyor. This was pure insanity.

It was a good thing he loved it. That, and there were worse places to spend your days than a quaintly named comic shop—The Enchanted Treasury—whose yellow walls, dark-stained wood shelving, and large front windows gave off a cozy vibe somewhere between a Hobbit hole and the Hufflepuff common room.

Normally, it wasn't too bad. Tuesdays were always the most stressful, with having to make room and plan for new stock (and then place it in the early hours of the morning), but thankfully the flow of customers was light. So he could easily stand behind the counter, cursing Marvel out for sending so many different copies of the same damn _Star Wars_ comic (even though it was the only Marvel title he read), and only receive a handful of odd looks—though he was still trying to figure out if those were glares or leers he was getting from Granny, owner of the diner down the street. (Rumor had it she'd harbored a crush on Marco, the previous owner, and it seemed as though that may have transferred to Killian.)

 _DC never does this_ , he muttered under his breath as he glanced between the shelf, the inventory list, and the scrap of paper he was plotting on through his thick-rimmed reading glasses, tapping on the counter with his prosthetic hook as he thought.

He was thinking to himself how he and David, his best friend/business partner/general thorn in his side, would likely be spending the night on the basement lounge couches usually reserved for gaming nights when the gentle tinkle of the door's ancient bell indicated a customer. He almost didn't notice the sound as he planned, but it would have been truly bad form to ignore a visitor.

"Hello there," he called out, not looking up quite yet because he had just figured out the arrangement and if he didn't write it down, he'd forget. A quiet, feminine "hi" reached his ears; when he looked up, he wished he had sooner. The afternoon light streaming through the large windows at the front of the store caught the woman's golden hair and illuminated it in an ethereal manner; he would have used the term "angelic," but her red leather jacket gave her an edge he found utterly tantalizing.

Before he could ask if she needed help, she'd made a beeline for the Marvel section and was pulling copies from the shelf. His earlier cursing completely disappeared as he watched her skim over titles, seemingly on a mission. He had to force himself back to working on the shelf arrangement lest she catch him staring; he knew the reputation comic book store guys sometimes got and he would NOT be known as a creeper.

In fact, he did such a good job of trying to ignore her that he almost did when she approached the counter to check out—she startled him to the point that his glasses nearly fell off. Up close, her green eyes told him that she'd be taking no bullshit today, and he was thrown too off-guard by her very presence that he was uncharacteristically silent. He was usually pretty smooth with the fairer sex, he liked to think; so either the fallout from his last relationship had robbed him of his skills in flirtation, or there was something significantly different about her compared to the few one-night flings he'd had in the past year or so.

He managed to squeak out a goodbye, and he could swear she rolled her eyes as she left. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he cursed himself for his complete idiocy _and_ the potential loss of a customer.

* * *

But the following Tuesday, she showed up again, much to his relief. Again, he was lost in planning when the bell indicated her presence, but this time, he gave a warmer greeting. "Welcome back!"

She glanced at him, squinting oddly for a second, but then relaxed. "Thanks," she replied, then adding with a tired smirk, "I didn't recognize you without the glasses, Clark Kent." He was too awestruck to come back from that, and so just blushed and nervously scratched behind his ear. _That explains the confused look_. He tried not to read too much into the fact that she still recognized him.

He did attempt some small talk when she was paying, though. "You a big Black Widow fan?" he asked, gesturing the comic he just rang up.

"Yeah, she's pretty badass." A ghost of a smile crept onto her face.

"Aye, she seems so," he said back with a smile. He swallowed before his next move, as it was pretty bold. "You know, we're having a _Civil War_ party on Thursday before it premiers. Food, music, trivia, costumes. Would...would you like to come?"

She seemed momentarily taken aback, mouth falling open. _Way to fuck it up, mate_ , he admonished himself. But as quick as she initially reacted, she had already recovered. "Sorry; I don't do costumes," she said with a shake of her head.

His hope was somewhat restored. "They're not required. I promise it will be a fun time."

"Are you dressing up?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps," he said back with a smirk. (However this conversation ended, he was at least glad his flirtatious side had made a comeback.)

"As Superman?" she asked, mischief sparkling in her eyes.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Afraid not. Wrong universe."

"Could have fooled me," she replied nodding at his chest. He looked down; of course he'd worn a Superman shirt under his zip-up hoodie today. He laughed to cover up his embarrassment.

"We'll see," she ended with a wink. "Thanks."

"Anytime, love," he said to her back as she walked out the store. She gave him a glance over her shoulder as she opened the door to leave, and he knew he was a goner. _Come on, mate; you don't even know her name_. But that didn't seem to matter.

He was still staring at the door when Granny cleared her throat at the counter, pulling him from his daze. He quickly apologized and started checking her out, stuttering only slightly as he did. Granny just clucked at him.

"Are you gonna ask her out, or am I gonna have to do it for you?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would and I will."

"Do it and we stop ordering those _Grimm Fairy Tales_ you like."

Granny just chuckled knowingly at him as she left.

He was so screwed.

* * *

He kept his eyes glued to the door on Thursday night when he wasn't running things for their party. They had a good turnout—as most of their events did—but he was still hoping for the mysterious blonde to come through the threshold.

Dave was quick to pick up on the fact that Killian was distracted. "You waiting on someone?" Killian jumped, unaware that his friend was right next to him (or just how long he'd been staring at the door).

"Oh, um, maybe."

"Is she cute?"

"I never said it was a girl."

"Okay. Is _he_ cute?"

Killian punched him in the arm, sending Dave's cheap blond Thor wig askew. The man responded by jabbing his foam Mjolnir into Killian's chest. "Watch the arc reactor, mate!"

"You people are so petty. And tiny." Killian just rolled his eyes. David really was his best friend, and the first one he'd made when he moved to Boston from London, but sometimes—like right now—David filled the big brother void a little too well. "It must be someone special if you've put this much effort into a non-DC costume. This isn't your usual Batman t-shirt-and-hoodie combo."

"Well, it'd be bad form to wear DC to a Marvel event, now wouldn't it, mate? And you're one to talk—Thor's not even in this one!" But Dave was right—not only was Killian a confirmed DC fanboy, but tonight, he had gone full-out, wearing a light-up arc reactor under a t-shirt that was a bit tighter than his usual wear, attaching a toy Iron Man glove over his hook, and manicuring his ever-present scruff in a manner that would make Tony Stark himself proud. (He'd even gone so far as to cover up the red in his beard with black mascara, but that was his secret.) It meant he'd have to completely shave it off tomorrow and run around looking like a 16-year-old boy for a few days, but if it helped make an impression on his Black Widow-loving friend, it'd be all worth it.

"Well, for your sake, I hope she shows up."

She didn't.

* * *

He was prepared to bring it up the next Tuesday—good-naturedly, of course; it was her prerogative—but lost his nerve a bit when she came through the door, hair streaming behind her, head down, and clearly either on a mission or trying to be invisible. There were a few other customers that it looked like she was avoiding; the store had been almost empty any other time she'd been in, so maybe she had some social anxiety? But she still returned his greeting with a gentle smile, albeit colder than usual. As usual, his curiosity was piqued.

He was sorting through new posters to hang a few minutes later when a sneering voice reached his ears.

"Oh, don't tell me you actually like that one." Killian was a firm believer in not judging anyone's tastes in comics; hell, that was how David met his fiancée—she was after some Archie comics. (In college.) So he wasn't about to stand by and let that happen in his store.

He looked up over the frames of his glasses and saw that the group of guys who had been browsing were now gathered around the blonde; she was doing her best to ignore them, but it was clear she was agitated.

"Come on, everyone knows Thor is a dude."

"Fuck off, Neal." Her short reply seemed to have no effect on the guy. Looking closer, Killian realized he recognized him as a regular over at Revolutionary Games & Comics, a shop on the other side of town. That was where he'd met Dave, but then Dave brought him to Marco's shop and it was like coming home. The rest, as they say, is history, but he had followed David back over there for gaming nights and knew the kind of people that hung out there. So he was starting to wish this Neal fellow had stayed there. Silently, he took off his glasses and moved from behind the counter to head over.

"I mean, I'm surprised she could even pick up the hammer. Wouldn't it have broken a nail?" Neal and his cohorts clearly thought his dumb and misogynistic joke was funny, and had a good chuckle; the blonde winced and continued to skim the comic.

"Come on, just admit it: she's not as good as the real Thor."

"Excuse me," Killian finally spoke up, standing on the other side of one of the short shelves in the middle of the store. "You can have your opinion on the comic but you'll not be chastising another customer for their tastes."

"Mind your own business, buddy," the douchebag (because it was more than apparent that's what he was) said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"See, that's just the thing. This _is_ my business," he said, gesturing around the store. "So let the lady be, and either continue your shopping or leave." Killian stood as tall as he could—he may have left the Navy, but he could still strike an imposing figure.

"So you've already got some other guy standing up for you? Never could pick your own fights, could you?" Neal was still talking to the blonde, who finally looked up from her comic. She briefly glared at Killian, making him feel rather sheepish for getting involved, before addressing the guy.

"Look, Neal: you're the one who ended this, and harassing me over comics won't get me back. So if bullying me really makes you feel better, then you're worse off than I thought. I suggest you leave now before I get violent, because we both know what happens when you push me too far." Killian could only see her shoulders over the shelf, but it wasn't hard to imagine her fists clenched based on the defensive posture she was exhibiting.

Neal just stared back at her, attempting a defiant sneer but there was definitely fear in his eyes. He glanced at Killian, apparently hoping for some sympathy and, upon seeing that there was none, sighed and threw the magazine he'd been browsing on a shelf. "Fuck it."

He and his crew sauntered toward the door. "Your gaming selection sucks, anyway," he shouted back before exiting, letting the door slam on their way out.

A slightly awkward silence settled over Killian and the blonde heroine (because he was starting to realize that she might be just as at home on the pages of comics as Wonder Woman and Batgirl).

She was clearly still upset over the encounter; her eyes were glued to the floor and her breathing was heavy and erratic. He gave her a few moments, and then finally went to speak—only to be cut off by her.

"Are you—"

"You sure you're not Superman?" she asked in a tone he could tell was forcibly light, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.

He chuckled. "Still a no. Besides, you don't need my help; I think you may actually be Supergirl. My apologies for butting in." He still felt a bit of shame for overstepping.

"It's okay; having a sidekick helped," she threw back with a genuine smile that helped ease the tension between them.

"I'll gladly be the Harley Quinn to your Power Girl any day," he replied, laughing slightly.

Her smile turned to a look of confusion. "Huh?"

"Oh, you don't read _Harley Quinn_?" He was a bit surprised, given what he'd gleaned of her choices in comics; Harley fit right in with the other ass-kicking lasses.

"No; I pretty much only read Marvel."

 _Hm. Well that throws a slight wrench in things._ Well, he could make a convert. "Oh, you'd like her. She threatens violence, too," he said with a wink. "But I'm glad you didn't follow her example and trash the store."

She laughed—a beautiful sound—and he admired the way the corner of her eyes crinkled with joy; he couldn't help but return the expression.

Still smiling, she cast her eyes down again. "Sorry you had to see that," she said, seemingly embarrassed.

"It's no worry, love; are you alright?"

"I will be. Just hadn't planned on an encounter with my asshole ex." She shook her head. "Still don't know what I was thinking there."

"Yeah, I know how that goes," Killian replied without thinking, only realizing a second later the somewhat personal nature of what he'd just admitted. She stared back at him with a look that bordered sympathy and shock; his likely mirrored those emotions, with an added touch of fear, wondering if he again overstepped his bounds—or if maybe she worried she'd done the same.

He still didn't know her name, but he suddenly sensed that they had more in common than a love of serials—there was something broken in them both.

It was suddenly too much for them, and they looked away at the same time, his hand drifting up to the usual spot behind his ear designated for nervous scratches. He cleared his throat before he ventured, gesturing to the comic in her hand, "I've heard that's a fantastic title, by the way."

She swallowed and looked back up. "Oh yeah?"

"Aye. Sounds very interesting."

"Have you read it?"

"No, I mainly read DC. But my business partner highly recommends it."

"Well then I guess I have to read it," she concluded with a smile.

"Most definitely. I think we have the trade of the first few issues, if you'd rather?"

"No; I prefer individual issues. But, um…" she trailed off, glancing back at the shelf. "There's only the past few here."

"Oh! The rest are with our back issues. Come on." He beckoned her to follow him across the store, automatically slipping into clerk mode (because the shop clerk was far less likely to make an arse of himself by flirting with a customer, however gorgeous or interesting [or potentially liferuining] she may be).

But he couldn't resist looking back at her as she followed him. "You know, I think we might also have a few vari—oh!"

"Woah, woah, woah—!"

"Uf!"

He was cut off by the suddenly alarmed expression on her face and then by her grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him toward her; he had to wrap his arms around her body to prevent them both from toppling over.

"It's about bloody time," he heard himself say. Their proximity jarred him and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind; of course, _now_ his cocky front comes back. He proceeded to blush (again) and internally curse himself.

She just rolled her eyes. "There's a box behind you; you nearly tripped and fell into that shelf." He looked behind where they stood—where he hadn't been watching his step—at the half-full box of back issues that were in the process of being moved.

"Well, that's a plausible excuse for grabbing me; but next time, don't stand on ceremony." (He was committed to the act at this point.)

"Uh-huh. How about you just show me those comics?" The tone of her voice was nonchalant, but the slight smirk on her face said otherwise. So he gave her a half-smirk back, picked up the errant box, and continued to lead her to the back issues.

She began sorting through the bins, first pulling out _Thor_ but then skimming for others. While he filed the comics from the box, she explained how she hadn't been a regular in a store in a while and had missed a lot, first due to her breakup with Neal, meaning she wouldn't go back to Revolutionary, but then because of some crazy weeks in her job as a bailbondsperson.

"God, you have learned way more about me today than you probably wanted to," she said with a shake of her head and a slight laugh.

He paused, still entranced by this fearsome, beautiful being who was gracing him not only with her presence, but with her story as well. He swallowed. "Perhaps I do."

She stared at him out of the corner of her eye, but then turned her focus back to the comics. If he saw her small smile, he didn't let on.

A few minutes later, with some issues of _Ms. Marvel_ and _Angela of Asgard_ added to her stack, she wandered over to the counter; he followed (and something was telling him that if he wasn't careful, he'd be liable to follow her anywhere).

As he was ringing up the comics, he dared, "You missed a hell of a party last week."

"Oh yeah?" Whatever walls he'd seen through earlier were back up, and she seemed ready to deflect his self-admittedly weak advances again. But two could play that game.

"Yup. Tony Stark himself was there."

"You wore an Iron Man suit?"

"No. But Tony Stark is pretty easy to pull off."

"Let me guess: you shaved your beard to match his and then had to shave it all off."

He chuckled and scratched his hook along the still-too-short scruff that had filled back in. "Aye."

"I would have like to see that."

"Which part?"

"That's for me to know." She wore a self-satisfied smile as she continued. "I really did want to come—David had told me about it a while back, too—but something came up last-minute with work."

He was thrown off by her familiarity with his cohort. "You know Dave?"

"Yeah, he's my brother. Well, foster brother."

"Wait, you're Emma?" David and Mary Margaret had mentioned David's sister more than a few times (okay, all the time), usually with a wink or two attached, but having never actually seen her, Killian was beginning to think she didn't exist and that there was a catfish scenario in his future. But now, their comments about her being "recently single" and "so adorable" made a whole lot more sense.

It all clicked in his head, but the only thing he could manage to spit out was, "Oh no, I've been charging you full-price the last few weeks."

She giggled. "It's fine. So you must be the famous Killian?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me?"

"Only every time I see David or Mary Margaret."

"I believe your reputation precedes you in a similar manner."

He finished the transaction and put her comics in one of the reusable totes they saved for large purchases (or just extra-special customers). "Well, I'm glad to have finally met the famous Swan in person." He found he enjoyed the way Swan felt on his tongue.

"You too, Jones." He also enjoyed the way she said his surname.

"Don't be a stranger, love," he said as she grabbed the tote.

"Don't worry; I won't." She smiled back at him as she walked out of the store.

He was going to need to yell at David for not informing him just how awe-inspiring his sister was. But first, he'd need a moment to pull himself together, because Emma Swan definitely just walked through that door with a piece of his heart, and he was beginning to think he'd be inclined to hand the whole thing over.

It wasn't until she was long gone that he noticed she made him forget part of why he'd left England in the first place.

* * *

"So why Tuesdays?" he asked her a few weeks later. New comics always came out on Wednesday, so if there was a day in the week to come in, that was it. He wasn't going to complain about their new tradition of trading banter while she perused last week's new issues and he made sense of those to come, but he was certainly curious.

"It's always quiet. Sometimes, I need that."

There was clearly more to the story, but they were still a bit awkward when it came to their pasts. They were more than happy to be in the present with each other, teasing bordering on flirtation, but other than the encounter with her ex, he knew he'd only cracked the cover on the book that was Emma Swan.

 _Maybe_ , he thought, _I need to show her some of the pages of mine first_. "Aye," he began. "I remember the struggle to find solitude on my navy ship. There was always something happening; someone shouting about something. Silence was hard to come by."

"You were in the navy?" He could see her curiosity was piqued.

He nodded. "Yeah, back in England. Worked my way up to Lieutenant before I left."

"Impressive. Why'd you leave?"

"The Navy? Didn't have much choice," he said, gesturing with his hook. "England...lots of reasons." His plan was starting to backfire—he hadn't expected her to be digging through his past; he'd only wanted make her comfortable enough to share some of hers.

"Ahh, a tragic backstory?" Emma asked with a smirk. "Every good hero has one."

"I'm hardly a hero," he replied, incredulous, thinking of the darker part of his life.

"You did save me from a dastardly villain, Superman. Trust me—you have a mark in the hero column."

He could feel his cheeks redden a bit at the faith she seemed to be putting in him, someone she'd barely known for a couple months. She didn't trust easy, he could tell, and he vowed to never lose it once he'd gained it.

But he couldn't let another Superman comment slide. "I'm probably more Batman, love."

"Really, dark and brooding?" She squinted her eyes at him. "Yeah, I guess I could see you in black leather."

"So you're into a man in leather?" Innuendo was always his go-to deflection technique. Now it was her turn to roll her eyes and laugh.

Calming down, she looked back up at him. "So what else do you have in common with Batman?"

He sighed. "Well, we've both had to watch loved ones die and leave us, but I have to say he puts his anger to better use than I did. He gets to the bottom of crime; I got to the bottom of far too many bottles of rum."

She was clearly surprised by his honesty, and he was a bit, too. He'd barely even told David of his life prior to coming to Boston.

"Your parents?" she asked quietly.

"My brother, Liam. He was in the Navy, too."

"I'm sorry."

He needed to change the subject, or at least reverse it, before too many repressed memories sprung forth. "How about you, Swan? Is there some Spiderman going on there? Black Widow maybe?"

"I don't know," she said with a shake of her head. "Are there any superheroes who were abandoned at the side of the road as babies, shuffled from foster home to foster home, and then, once they found a home, were so used to instability that they went and made some of it on their own?" There was anger in her tone, but it was clearly at her past and not at him. He'd heard she had a rough life, but didn't expect the gory details.

Seeking to lighten the mood, he toyed with his reading glasses on the counter in front of him before offering them to her. "Superman was sent here as a baby," he gently joked with a soft smile. "Shall I call you Kara Kent?"

It worked, to his relief, and she let out a small chuckle. "Only if I can still call you Clark."

"It's a deal, love."

* * *

A few weeks later, he and Dave were helping Marco install some new shelves to accommodate the large order of Funko figures coming in. Their selection had overgrown the IKEA Billy bookshelf they'd been using, so Marco came in to lend a hand. He'd made all the other shelves in the store, along with the decorative woodwork on the exterior, so he was more than willing to install some more.

(Plus, even though he'd retired, he was still a frequent visitor; his son traveled a lot so "his boys," as he called David and Killian, figured he got lonely, but they were always glad to have him around and were careful to keep his original vision in mind with how they ran the store.)

They were halfway through setting the shelves when the bell chimed at Emma's usual time. He glanced over his shoulder to see her come in with Mary Margaret in tow.

He smiled and was about to call a greeting when David beat him to the punch. "Hey!" he shouted, abandoning his post to properly greet his fiancee and sister.

"Oi! Mate!" Killian didn't mind David going to say hello, but when it left him to (try to) support a shelf with just hand and hook while Marco nailed it in place, he was going to protest. At least he kept it from hitting Marco, who just laughed.

"Ah, to be a young man in love again," he sighed in his thick Italian accent. Normally, Killian would have made a quip about Granny, but the diner owner wasn't there and he was too busy staring at Emma, who was shyly smiling his way. He jumped when Marco elbowed him with a chuckle; Killian's dreamy smile quickly turned bashful and he felt his ears flush, but Marco still pushed him in the direction of the ladies.

He instead headed behind the counter, where he'd set something aside for Emma. It hadn't taken long for him to figure out her flavor of comics: strong ladies, and almost all of them Marvel (in addition to the titles he helped her with the day of the encounter with Neal, she also was a fan of _Captain Marvel_ , _Spider-Gwen_ , and _Silk_ ). He was browsing the shipment last week when another series caught his eye and made him think of her, which was incredibly sappy, he knew, but he couldn't resist.

While he was fishing for it under the counter, Emma found her way over, surprising him when he popped back up.

"Didn't mean to scare you," she apologized, but it didn't seem like she meant it judging from the way her mouth turned up at the corner.

He'd forgive her, anyway. "No worries. I was actually, ah…" Seriously, why did she reduce him to the stereotypical awkward comic nerd? _Just spit it out_. "I found this; made me think of you."

He slid the booklet across the counter: the latest issue of _Barb Wire_ , a series about a badass blonde bartender and bounty hunter. Emma skimmed it, her small smile growing to a grin as she realized the subject matter.

"Yeah, definitely up my alley. Thanks." Her smile turned coy. "Do you do that with all the girls?" It seemed like she was teasing at first, but he could tell she was also testing him.

"Only the really special ones," he flirted back, but on seeing her face fall a bit, he backtracked. "Honestly, no; you truly are the first one, Swan."

"Not even your ex?"

"No, which was probably the first sign."

"Sounds like more backstory."

He was really glad that David was more interested in showing the kids books to Mary Margaret and not the more subdued conversation going on here. "Aye, a bit. Let's just say it's a poor idea to get involved with a married woman, whether you know she is or not. Because if she's cheated once, she'll likely do it again." Truthfully, the woman had near rendered his heart in two; only distance had let him fuse it back together.

Emma nodded, understanding. "Yeah, they tend to do that." To his relief, she didn't seem to be judging him, like most would at implications of infidelity. He was worried his admission would change things, but thankfully, it hadn't; apparently it was one more thing they had in common.

The heavy moment of understanding seemed to drag on, until they both awkwardly looked away at the same time, which made them both giggle.

"Anyways, there's that," he started again, tapping a finger on the cover of _Barb Wire_. "If you like it, I already checked—we have every issue. Oh, but don't go watch the movie; I already did and it's terrible."

She laughed gently. "Thanks for the warning. And really—thanks for thinking of me. It's...been awhile since anyone did that."

"Well, that's far too long for a lass as fine as you."

She glanced down, blushing, and looked up at him through her lashes. She didn't say anything more as she went to browse the shelves, but that smile on her face—both flirtatious and genuinely happy—said everything.

After the girls left, David and Killian watched them head out before getting back to shelf construction.

"So, you and Emma seem to get along fine," David assessed.

"Uh, yeah, I think we do," he answered modestly.

"Do you like her?"

Killian couldn't tell where this was going, but figured honesty was the best policy. "Yeah, I do. Quite a bit."

"So ask her out already!"

Killian's jaw dropped; he was NOT expecting that. "Bugger off, mate," he said once he recovered, and headed back to where Marco waited for them.

It was nice to have David's blessing, and he knew David knew Emma best; but if there was one thing he'd figured out about her, it was that she'd run if he was too forward.

The comic today had been a first step. _So what next?_


	2. Chapter 2

"Whatcha reading?"

Killian was so absorbed in the comic he was studying that he'd hardly noticed when Emma came in. Truthfully, he was taking advantage of the quiet afternoon and the small size of the impending shipment to get caught up on reading—and to do anything to distract himself from the prospect of seeing her again. David's words kept running through his head, but he still didn't know how to make Emma a proposition without it seeming like a _proposition_.

And clearly it had worked, because he was so entrenched in the story that he'd never even heard the door. His glasses actually fell off the tip of his nose when she startled him with her voice, which at least made her laugh, so he didn't feel as bad for unintentionally ignoring her.

"Hi! Sorry I didn't see you come in," he recovered, scratching behind his ear.

"Must be a good story." She peered over the counter to look at the trade in front of him. "Are those pirates?"

"Aye; Anne Bonnie is her name. Fiercest 12-year-old pirate to set sail!"

"I thought you said you were a Navy man? Aren't you supposed to fight against the pirates?"

"Not anymore."

"Ah, so you went rogue?"

He waved his hook at her and joked, "I suppose so."

They giggled; she was doing that more and more around him, and he'd never tire of it. "Is it any good?"

"It's geared at kids, but it's cute. I would have loved it as a boy."

"Have you always read comics?"

"Inquisitive today, aren't we?" He was teasing her, but secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly), he loved it, even if it had been awhile since anyone had asked or he'd talked about his youth. "Yes, I have—ever since I was a wee lad. I'd 'borrow' them from my elder brother's stash, and read them under the covers, then try to put them back before he noticed."

"Did he?"

"Oh, always. But he never seemed to mind. For both of us, they were something of an escape."

She hummed. "Yeah, I get that. Is that where the Batman obsession started?" she wondered with a wink.

"Aye; he was always Liam's favorite. And I, the younger brother, always wanted to be just like him, so I fell in love with the Caped Crusader, too."

"I'm guessing the rum part of your story came after he passed?" she said lightly.

"Mhmm. And the no-good ex, and hitting some form of rock bottom before leaving it all behind to start fresh here."

"Just like _Dark Knight Rises_."

"Heh, yeah, just like—wait, I thought you were a Marvel girl?"

"I see movies," she protested. "But...I may have watched that trilogy recently."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Had to do some research."

"It wasn't because David made you, was it?"

She laughed. "No. He is the one who got me into comics as a kid, but I'm a big girl now. I do what I want."

"Just had to make sure. He can be very persuasive. Why else would I be working here right now?"

"Because you love comics and it keeps you close to your brother?"

She saw right through him. "Well, yes; same as it reminds you of your youth."

"Am I that obvious?" she complained with a cringe.

"You're something of an open book. That and I noticed _Back To The Future_ and _Disney Princesses_ in your hands last week."

"Ah, busted."

He saw a window open just then. "Speaking of busting, if you're a fan of 80s films, what are your thoughts on the new _Ghostbusters_?" It was premiering in a couple days.

"Oh, I can't wait! It looks like a lot of fun."

"Definitely. Would you, maybe, want to go see it together?"

She smiled, but then her face fell, dragging Killian's heart with it. "I would love to, but I already promised my best friend I'd go with her. I'm so sorry!"

However defeated he felt, he couldn't let it show (and she had a legit reason—he could tell she wasn't blowing him off). "No worries, love; just thought I'd ask."

"Maybe some other time?" she offered with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'd like that. We'll see."

He waited until she was gone to bang his head against the counter. Sure, he could take hope in the fact that it wasn't an outright "no", but it'd shaken his confidence.

Good thing _Suicide Squad_ was coming out in a month, right?

* * *

But not even two weeks later, Emma came thundering in—quite literally—on a quiet Sunday morning during a thunderstorm. Things typically didn't pick up on Sundays until later in the day, after everyone got out of church, so he had made himself quite at home on one of the beanbag chairs in the kids' section, reading. He was startled not only by the fact that there was a customer, but that it was her, and on a day other than Tuesday.

"Swan, what a pleasant surprise," he called out from his seat, apparently scaring her in return. She jumped, and her frantic eyes landed on him.

"Oh, thank God. I need your help."

He stood up with only minor struggle (and suddenly realizing that he wasn't as spry as he was at 5), setting the comic he'd been reading aside. "How may I be of service, love?" _Anything you want_ , he added in his head.

"I've got a birthday party for a 6-year-old and I have no idea what to get him."

"What does he like?"

"Batman," she said with a sheepish smile.

"Well, you've definitely come to the right person." He was more than touched that she sought him out; if now was his turn to play hero, he'd step up to the plate. "Follow me; I've got an idea."

The new Funko shelves had been finished with only a minor amount of ribbing between the guys—mostly directed at Killian—and were now fully stocked, two deep, and organized alphabetically by fandom. "Who's the birthday boy?" he asked.

"My...almost nephew, I guess? Mary Margaret's step-sister's stepson."

"Oh, Roland?"

"Yeah." Mary Margaret had dragged the lad, his father Robin, and his step-mom Regina in a few times. They hadn't talked much, but he remembered the boy having a distinct interest in a particularly-named character.

"Then I've definitely got the right thing. Just got it this week." He knelt down to the Ts, and after a short browse, grabbed the figure he wanted. "How's this?"

Emma chuckled. "Robin? Really?"

"I know he's a fan of Teen Titans, and Robin in particular."

"I guess any little boy would get excited if his dad shared a name with a superhero."

"Can you blame him?"

"No," she agreed. "But is this okay for a kid? I've only seen adults with them."

"It's a toy; it's definitely for kids. Or kids at heart."

"Does that mean you have some?"

He thought back to the current state of the bookshelves in his apartment. "Yeah, you could say that…'some' might be putting it lightly though."

"How many?" she asked teasingly.

"About...32."

"Damn."

"What? They're adorable."

She just laughed. "Okay, I believe you." Then, gesturing to the one he still held, "This is perfect. Thank you."

He checked her out as fast as he could, seeing as she was in something of a rush. Luckily, they had some gift bags behind the counter, too, so he wrapped it up quick.

"Seriously, Killian—you're a lifesaver," she enthused.

"All in a day's work for a hero," he rebutted casually, but he was flying high inside. Maybe a little too high. "Perhaps gratitude is in order?" he suggested boldly, tapping a finger against his lips as he passed the bag to her with his hook.

"That's what the thank you was for."

"Is that all a boy's happiness is worth to you?" He honestly didn't know what he was doing, but she'd taken the bait.

"Please. You couldn't handle it."

"Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it."

Before he knew what was happening, she'd grabbed the opening of his zip-up and tugged him across the counter, crashing her lips into his. He huffed when his stomach slammed into the edge, but was too lost in her mouth and the taste and feel of her lips to care much. His hand found her hair, soft and silky against his fingertips, and he could feel her fingers massaging the base of his skull.

A line from one his favorite movies as a child ran through his head: " _Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure; this one left them all behind_."

But suddenly, her lips weren't on his anymore; he chased them, even with the barrier between them. "That was…" he breathed

"...A one-time thing," she whispered back. She stepped away, suddenly panicked. "I-I'm sorry; I shouldn't have...I've gotta go."

"Emma, wait—" he called, dashing around the counter after her. But she was all but running out the door before he could make a move. His heart was still pounding from that incredible kiss; he touched his lips, still warm and wet from hers.

He recognized that look in her eye, though. She hadn't just ran from the store; she'd ran from him.

"Bloody idiot," he cursed himself. "Bloody buggering fool." He threw himself back down on the beanbag chair. _I'm such a bloody arse_.

He sat there cursing his stupid posturing until another customer arrived, ignoring the comic he'd been reading—the newest _Thor_ —until he put it back on the shelf where it belonged.

* * *

She didn't come in the following Tuesday.

Or the one after that.

Eventually, he noticed her name in the subscription folder. He filled them every Wednesday, and at some point during the week, hers emptied, but never when he was around.

His heart stuttered when he noticed she'd subscribed to _Barb Wire_.

But summer started to turn to fall and he still hadn't seen her since that kiss.

* * *

"Dude, what is going on with you and Emma?"

He and David, with Mary Margaret's help, were decorating the store for Halloween—she insisted that the yellow walls looked perfect next to orange and black. The guys were perched on ladders, carefully hanging streamers along the tops of the shelves while she handled the windows, and apparently, David wanted to gossip.

"Nothing, mate. I've told you that."

"You've been moping for weeks. I thought I told you to ask her out ages ago?"

"Aye, and I did. We've been over this."

"I just don't get it."

"What's not to get? She's not interested; she made that clear." He wouldn't lie—he kept a green lantern lit for her still, but it had been ebbing toward the feeble side lately with nothing to feed it.

"You never told me just what happened."

"Yeah, because you're her brother, and I don't kiss and tell." He angrily taped a streamer to the shelf.

"Wait—kiss?"

 _Bollocks_. Somehow, he'd never mentioned that; any time David had brought it up in the past few months, he just shrugged off the man's inquisitions, and as far as David knew, they were still dancing around each other.

"Excuse me: kiss?" David waved a hand in front of Killian's face to get his attention. "She never—you never...what?"

Killian sighed. "Yeah; I kissed Emma."

"What? When?"

"How about we have this conversation not on top of a ladder, aye?"

Safely on the ground, David began his interrogation anew. "Tell me everything."

"Tell him what?" Killian groaned; now Mary Margaret had joined the fray.

"About how he kissed Emma and apparently hasn't talked to her since."

"Killian!" she scolded, slapping his arm.

"Ow! It's not like that, I swear."

"Then what's it like?" She crossed her arms, going into teacher mode.

"We flirted; we kissed; and then she ran off and I haven't seen her since."

"When was that?" David wondered.

"End of July."

"Oh, well that explains that."

"Explains what?"

"Why she's been acting weird," Mary Margaret supplied.

"And why she's only been coming on Thursdays," David continued.

"That girl," Mary Margaret complained, shaking her head. "We have to fix this, David."

"You're right."

"What if we—" "Maybe they—"

Killian had to interrupt; he recognized their conspiratorial tone for what it was and would have none of it. "Stop. Don't even think about it. We're all adults here; I can handle a bit of rejection."

He walked away before either of them could say anything else.

Because, as he was well aware, he wasn't handling this rejection well. He'd tried to go on a few dates, but no one seemed to hold a hammer to Emma. (He _may_ have started reading _Thor_ again. And _Captain Marvel_ , _Spider-Gwen_ , and other Marvel titles.)

He didn't see the plotting glance David and Mary Margaret exchanged as he walked away.

* * *

The weeks leading up to their annual Halloween party found Dave eerily quiet on the subject of Killian's personal life. That meant his mate has either given up the cause, or—more likely—he had something planned.

He wondered if that was why there were DC titles in Emma's folder now: _Harley Quinn_ , _Wonder Woman_ , and _Bombshells_. He liked to think he had something to do with her interest in another set of heroines, but knew better.

David was inviting him over after work more often, though, for everything from movies to card games to D&D. (And David RARELY played role playing games.) But Killian almost always turned him down, especially after the sheer awkwardness of the one time he accepted: he could never say no to _The Princess Bride_.

And apparently, neither could Emma. The entire evening was a farce, involving David and/or Mary Margaret trying to get Emma and Killian close to one another but with them both stubbornly refusing. It ended up with them on either sides of the living room until Emma had to leave on a work call before they even got to the fire swamp.

He'd hoped that was the last of his friends' meddling, but fate didn't seem to be on his side. The next morning, the store was already unlocked when he arrived—which was pretty common on the few days David came in before him. But David wasn't there. Killian started looking around, doing a mental assessment to see if anything was amiss or stolen, but everything seemed fine. He ran to check the register, but that too was intact.

He was at a loss: who would unlock the door and not take anything? He wouldn't complain, of course, but it was odd.

He was about to go check the back stockroom when a small box on the counter caught his eye. Cautiously, he looked it over: it was a Funko box—with Clark Kent inside. Stuck in the slot of the box was a strip of paper bearing his name in a generic typeface. He laughed a bit, thinking how Emma called him that all those months ago. But then he shook his head, assuming it was just another setup from his friends, or maybe Granny had snuck in and put it there; she struck him as the kind who'd know how to pick a lock.

He still rather liked the figure, though, and despite his large collection, it was one he didn't have. So he stuck it under the counter, where it would be safe, and went about opening.

It ended up being an oddly busy day, and he never got the chance to tell (or rather, ask) David about the figure, and when he came across it again after closing, he simply brought it home and added it to collection. He put it in a place of prominence, but decided to not give David the satisfaction of an inquiry.

And he was glad he didn't when that turncoat of a friend told him of a change in plans. The two of them had decided ages ago to go as Batman and Robin for Halloween—David had an impressive Batman suit already and apparently Killian looked good in shorts. He'd even told Emma about it a few months back during a discussion on cosplay (him: big fan and avid cosplayer; her: casual observer but admires the dedication). But of course, a week before their party, David dropped a bomb on him.

"So...Robin is doing it with me."

"Robin? What the hell, mate?"

"Sorry! You've just been so moody lately; I figured you weren't going to dress up."

"I ALWAYS dress up, Dave. You know this. You've seen this. Need I remind you of the _Star Trek_ premiere?" (There was a reason he owned an official Starfleet uniform top; paired with his naturally pointed ears: boom! Spock.)

"I know, I know. But Robin was there and you weren't and there was beer involved...sorry, man."

Killian sighed. He knew it was just another example of David being too damn friendly. "It's fine. I'll figure something else out."

Two days later, David came out of the back room after his lunch break talking on the phone.

"Great! I'm so glad you can finally make this one. It's gonna be a blast. What are you wearing?" Pause. "Dammit, fine; but you know I'm not good with surprises." Another pause. "Alright, me too. See you soon. Bye."

He'd hardly hung up before he was beaming at Killian. "Guess who just said they're coming to the party?"

"Chris Hemsworth?" (Killian knew about Dave's man crush; there was a reason he always dressed as Thor for Marvel events.)

"I wish. No—Emma."

Killian's heart skipped a beat in both fear and elation (but mostly fear). So he tried to play it cool. "Oh, fantastic. And she's dressing up?"

"Yeah, but she won't tell me as what. Have you decided what you're going as?"

In the second after Dave asked the question, Killian realized there was only one thing he could go as.

"Yeah, I have." But he groaned a bit internally: _dammit, I'll have to shave_.

* * *

Killian still wasn't sure what he was doing. How he even managed to find a decent costume on such short notice was beyond him, and David had assured him he looked good. ("Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion," were his exact words. Killian reminded him that he wasn't married yet with a raised eyebrow.)

So here he was, with the party in full swing. Mary Margaret had insisted on swapping their usual mix of classic rock for Halloween music, and he wasn't entirely sure of Granny's sobriety level but she was somehow managing to dance with every guy there (Killian, ever the Navy gentleman, had treated her to a waltz).

They had a good turnout, too, even though this was technically a private event. But from his perch behind the counter he saw all their friends having a good time. Robin truly was a perfect...well, Robin, and little Roland was following him around in his Robin Hood getup (Killian also was just realizing how common that name was in sci-fi and fantasy). Regina had gone as Wonder Woman and Mary Margaret was the Catwoman to David's Batman. Granny and her granddaughter, Ruby, were Ghostbusters (Holtzman and Gilbert, respectively, with Ruby's boyfriend as Kevin). All manner of movie and comic character were represented, but he still hadn't caught sight of the one person he wanted to see. He got excited when a flash of blonde hair and red leather came in, but it was just Regina's sister in a Harley Quinn wig.

He sighed in frustration and nearly ran a hand through his hair, until he remembered that he had gelled it perfectly. So he settled for scratching the too-smooth, clean-shaven skin of his chin and tapping his hook against the counter. He knew he was being antisocial, but with David and Mary Margaret off canoodling, and other happy couples around, he just felt oddly left out.

He knew it was silly to even think that his going all out with this costume would somehow impress Emma—he knew her better than that—but as he watched Spider-Gwen tap on Robin's shoulder and lean in both romantically and cautiously, he found he missed their similar interactions.

Wait a minute—why was Spider-Gwen trying to flirt with Robin? He's taken. Though he couldn't see her face, the way she jumped back when Robin turned around told him that Spider-Gwen was talking to the wrong person. She seemed to shrink back and scan the room, though it was hard to tell with the mask and hood covering her face.

She cautiously made her way around the store, evidently looking for someone. And there was something just familiar enough in her gait that made him follow her.

She slinked between groups on either end of shelving aisles and worked her way around the crowd at the food table. He quietly followed as stealthy as was possible when wearing a brightly colored cape.

(And if he puffed out his chest as he made his way through the store, well—he could blame it on the costume)

He could still see her as she neared the throng around the makeshift dance floor, but then someone cut the overhead lights in favor of the black lights and disco ball they'd put up for the party. In the time it took for his eyes to adjust, he lost sight of her.

 _Blast_. It wasn't like the store was really that big, but apparently they'd invited everyone they knew and then some. He attempted to circumnavigate the crowd, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find her.

He gave up with a sigh, hung his head, and turned to head back to the front. But of course, he'd hardly gone a few feet when he ran into something—or rather someone.

"Woah!"

"Uf!"

He instinctively wrapped his arms around the person, whose gloved hands landed on his chest.

It was her—Spider-Gwen.

"It's about bloody time," she said flirtatiously, echoing his own words from months ago.

He stiffened and held his breath. It wasn't just Spider-Gwen, it was _her_.

"Next time, don't stand on ceremony, Swan."

Though he couldn't read her emotions through the mask, the fact that she didn't seem eager to leave his embrace told him plenty.

"I won't," she said, and then moved to pull off her mask.

"Allow me." Gently, Killian slipped his fingers under the edge of the mask at her neck and pulled up until her face was revealed.

"I'm sorry I ran," she began. "I just...that's my thing: I run away. That's how I've always survived. I couldn't take a chance I was wrong about you."

Even with the low light, he could see the honesty and apology shining in her eyes. He should have been offended, but could tell she wasn't done. "What changed your mind?"

"There might have been a hope speech somewhere in there from Mary Margaret. And realizing we have the same favorite movie helped, too," she added, chuckling. "But, mainly...I realized that I was tired of running. And I missed seeing you here. Sometimes, you just need to know that someone has your back. Especially when that guy is Superman."

He glanced down at the red-and-yellow emblem on the chest of his blue jumpsuit, blushing. Surely she had to feel how hard his heart was racing under her palm, and he found himself wishing he were a Time Lord with a backup in case this one beat right out of his chest. He was floored and elated that he'd somehow broken through all those walls of hers, especially knowing that she'd done the same to him. "You really missed me?"

"Does that surprise you?"

He smiled. "I missed you, too."

Her fingers toyed with the S on his costume. "Did you get the Pop figure?"

He blinked in disbelief. "That was you?" She nodded demurely. "You picked the lock, didn't you?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry."

"Should have known; _Barb Wire_ has some great lock-picking skills."

"You started reading that?"

"You started reading DC." She glanced down with a bashful smirk. "Like I said: I missed you, too."

She looked, back up, her eyes growing wide with realization. "Wait—the costume…" She reached up and ran the back of her hand over his smooth cheek. "You shaved your beard for me?"

He glanced down, swallowing, before looking back up at her through his lashes. "Aye."

Slowly, she drew her gloved fingers up to the edges of his cape. Holding on, she rose on her toes and met his lips, kissing him firmly and intently.

His hand wandered up, finding its way into her hair under the hood of her (excellent) costume as the kiss deepened, bordering on indecent given the fact that they were technically in public.

But, to his slight dismay, she broke off a second later, laughing. He feared for his kissing skills a moment, but she blurted out, "We're crossing the streams."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Marvel and DC. We're crossing the streams."

He chuckled. "And we're all the more powerful for it. What did you think of—"

She placed a finger on his lips to stop him. "I'm going to have to stop you there, because you need to shut up and kiss me again. Oh, wait." She tugged her hood and mask back on, but only halfway, leaving her nose and mouth exposed. "You wouldn't happen to have anywhere for me to hang upside down, would you?"

He just shook his head at the Spider-Man reference. "No, because that would make me the Peter Parker here and I'd rather not be dead."

"You read Spider-Gwen, too?" She sounded shocked, but didn't give him a chance to respond before she'd pulled him down by the edge of his cape and was kissing him again.

He took back what he'd thought about their first kiss—this one was the one for the ages.

* * *

On the other side of the store, David and Mary Margaret were watching the festivities. But they were less concerned with what Ruby and her boyfriend were doing in the broom closet than they were with what just unfolded next to the dance floor.

"Effing finally," she said as she refilled the punch bowl.

"Good call on getting that Spider-Gwen costume." David was munching on puppy chow.

"It was her pick; I just found it. How did you get him to go as Superman?"

"I didn't. He did that on his own."

She sighed. "So we didn't really play matchmaker?"

"No, but it was a good effort."

* * *

One year, a few conventions, and several movie premieres later, Halloween rolled around again, and so did the Halloween party.

All their friends were there, and David and Mary Margaret—now with the same last name—were dressed as Captain America and Peggy Carter.

Killian was again watching the festivities from the sideline...but so was Emma. They matched perfectly as Westley and Buttercup; though their Marvel-DC debate had been buried, they still went neutral with their favorite movie.

She was kind of side-eyeing him though, as a few other superheroes trickled through. "What is it, love?"

"Nothing. Just...I really liked that Superman costume."

"Shall I change?"

"No! You rock the pirate look good, too."

He chuckled a bit. "Well, I know you don't need saving anymore, but Clark Kent will always be here when you need him."

"Good."

And as she pulled him in for a kiss, he knew that though he may have found his kryptonite in Emma Swan, never again would Killian curse owning a comic shop. Because sometimes, a fantastic story walks right in the door.


End file.
